Alien Hominid HD Is A Crowd Pleaser

I have been a huge fan of the indie masterpiece, Alien Hominid, for quite some time, so I’ve glad to see the attention the game is receiving for its appearance on the XBox Live Arcade. The enhanced version seems to fit in on the XBLA and the critics are eating it up…

“Commercial-grade digital distribution was made for games like Alien Hominid, which was just ahead of its time. While it started life as a simple little Flash game online, the full game was originally released on the PlayStation 2 and GameCube back in 2004, with a European Xbox release hitting in 2005. The 2D side-scrolling shooter was endlessly charming and notoriously difficult, but it never really broke out of its fairly tiny niche. Now it’s back for another go on the Xbox 360 as a $10 purchase. It’s a perfect fit for Microsoft’s downloadable game service, and it’s still an outstanding shooter.”GameSpot

“Solid but basic gameplay is all well and good, but Alien Hominid wouldn’t be where it’s at today without some amazing artistry. It is really Dan Paladin’s creativity and skill as an artist that makes you want to continue on in Alien Hominid, not necessarily the gameplay. As the mind of Schafer pushed us further and further into Psychonauts, Paladin’s artful usage of basic geometry, colors, and 2D depth-of-field is leagues above others who have tried the same thing. Toss in a heaping helping of comedy that comes across loud, clear, and not overly cutesy – even without the usage of dialogue – and it’s easy to see why Alien Hominid is our new favorite Xbox Live Arcade Title. ”Team XBox

“If there can be any harsh criticism leveled at Alien Hominid, it would have to be directed at its difficulty which ranges from insane to impossible. A single shot from an enemy is enough to end your life and those little balls of death hurtling your way can easily be lost in the vibrant backgrounds. There’s no way around it — you will die very regularly and be forced to use nearly all of your continues to finish just a single stage. Occasionally, you’ll find yourself in situations where death is the only option. Practice makes perfect, but this game can be brutal even after many hours of playing.”IGN

I have AH for Xbox but I can’t say that I’m a that big fan, especially since it feels too much like Metal Slug a game series I dislike.
On a somewhat related note, whatever happened to the fabled 6-button retro gamepad for the Xbox Live Arcade? Never heard of it again too? I still don’t get why won’t they pick the original Sidewinder, paint it white, put a better D-Pad and sell it as a official XBLA gamepad.